Location and Schedule

Summit on Puerto Rican Affairs III “A Vision for the Future”
Promoting Export/Import, Small Businesses and
Community Development
Friday, May 18, 2012
The Florida Hotel and Conference Center
1500 Sand Lake Road
Orlando, FL 32809 | Phone: (407) 859-1500

SOUTH FLORIDA PUERTO RICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

invites you to our

QUARTERLY BUSINESS LUNCHEON MEETING

Date:  Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Time: 12 noon – 2 p.m.

Location: 1717 N. Bayshore Drive   2^nd Floor

Miami, FL  33137

Cost: $20 per person

Includes Light Lunch

GUEST SPEAKER

Hon. Pedro J. Garcia

Property Appraiser, Miami-Dade County

 Mr. Garcia will speak on Property Taxes, the Value Adjustment Board, latest trends in the residential real estate market, exemptions, and other important topics to Miami-Dade County residents and homeowners.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Willy Lopez, KMB, Consultant

Security Concerns and your Small Business

Mayra Gonzalez, Esq.  International Immigration / Labor Services

 Labor Law and Small Business

Please RSVP by Monday, April 23, 2012 by email at puertoricanchamb@bellsouth.net
For additional information, please contact the Chamber office at (305) 571-8006.  Our fax is (305) 571-8007.  Space is limited.

Even with the extraordinary power of the internet, English language fiction set in contemporary Puerto Rico seems like a rare find. Hunter S. Thompson wrote The Rum Diary in the 1960s. This off-beat, character drama contains rich descriptions of Puerto Rico in the late 1950s. But The Rum Diary was not published until 1998. In 1985, Elmore Leonard published Glitz, where Puerto Rico serves as one of the locations of this murder thriller. In a similar genre, Steven Torres wrote the Precinct Puerto Rico series, taking place in the 1980s and 90s. In 2002, Garry Hoyt published Isla Verde, a romantic adventure novel, set between the 1950s and 70s, that serves in part as a vehicle for trenchant political commentary about the island.

Having lived in Puerto Rico during my adolescence and the early part of my career as a lawyer, I, too, could not pass up the opportunity to comment on Puerto Rico politics. Yet my novel, Puerto Rico City, widens the scope in a world compressed by fiber optics and digitalization. The novel relies heavily on the vantage point of globalization from which no country is immune and to which everyone must adapt.

As a lawyer, writing has been an essential part of my livelihood. Yet, perhaps to the amazement of many, the legal profession requires that one adhere to facts. In many ways, facts are far easier to cope with than fiction. I learned this during college and as a recent graduate of Amherst when I tried (briefly) to write fiction as a full-time occupation. Short vignettes, character sketches, and isolated events came naturally to me. However, it seemed that I could never put together a complete story. Then, slowly, one dawned on me.

Released in February 2012, Puerto Rico City places the reader in the mid-2000s and extends into the future, beyond the 2012 island and U.S. elections. Lino Mendoza emerges from a diverse collection of characters, hailing from several continents, in a story that converges on Puerto Rico, the place of my heritage. (My father was born in Yauco, and my mother in Vega Alta.)

Educated by his travels and corporate dealmaking, Lino seizes upon an idea – the creation of a mega-entertainment city on the former U.S. naval base of Roosevelt Roads located on the east coast of Puerto Rico. In 2004, after protests against the practice bombings of the neighboring island of Vieques, the navy closed Roosevelt Roads. The base was evacuated, lay idle, and succumbed to inertia and political bickering. Lino has is own compelling view of what has to be done with the prime thirteen-square-mile landmass: build a new, world class entertainment city to compete with Las Vegas, Macau, Dubai and all the rest.

Yet there are many enterprising and creative minds in the world, who see opportunities or problems that need fixing from their own perspective. The threats and obstacles in Lino’s path include Aaron Getz, a corporate raider from New York; Daisy Youngluck, a dangerously gorgeous billionaire from Peru; Wen Kashing, a casino loan shark, turned private banker from Macau; Sergei Rubelkov, a cyber hacker with ties to the Russian oligarchy, and Reed Savage, the owner of a massive Native American casino resort in Connecticut. Then politicians from Puerto Rico and the U.S. enter the scene.

Will the prevailing forces be animal instincts, private financial ambitions, or higher principles? See what happens in Puerto Rico City. www.puertoricocity.com

National Puerto Rican Parade
Sunday, June 10th, 2012

Parade kicks off at 11:00 a.m. at Fifth Avenue 44th Street and ends at Fifth Ave. 79th St.

The 2012 National Puerto Rican Day Parade is the number fifty four (55) event held in New York City and the sixteen (17) as a National Organization.

 In addition to the annual parade on fifth avenue the Board of Directors carries out mutilple events throughout the year in accord with the organization mission and goals.

 RECOGNITION  TO “BALUARTES  PUERTORRIQUEÑOS 2012

In recognition  of  the  contribution to the Puerto Ricans culture and arts.

For 2012, this special recognition has been bestowed upon the State of Ohio.

We reach out to all Puerto Ricans to display their Puerto Rican flags without any symbols.

152nd. STREET FESTIVAL

In the “Condado de la Salsa” of the Bronx, NY for a period of 17 years the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, Inc. holds its annual Cultural Festival.

This is a one day, family oriented,  outdoor event where you can find Kiosks selling Puerto Rican typical foods, arts crafts, promotional sponsors and highlighted musical bands for a full day of entertainment.

The 152nd. St. Cultural Festival will be held on Saturday, June 02, 2012 from 10:00am – 5:00pm at Jackson thru Union Avenue, Bronx, NY 10455.

For further information regarding event and cost of Kiosks, please contact (718) 401-0404 or email: nprdpin@aol.com

10THANNIVERSARY SEASON CELEBRATION WITH

“MÚSICANUEVA 5: BIG BAND POETRY JAM & BEYOND”

 AT SYMPHONYSPACE, MAY 11 & 12

GRAMMY®AWARD-WINNING ENSEMBLE TO ACCOMPANY SPECIAL

GUEST POETS:ANGEL R. RODRIGUEZ, SR., SANDRA MARÍA ESTEVES, TATO LAVIERA, ODILIA RIVERASANTOS,

CARIDAD “LA BRUJA” DE LA LUZ, CIRCA ’95 (PATTYDUKES &REPHSTAR), & CHRISTOPHER “CHILO” CAJIGAS

New York, New York — The Afro Latin Jazz Allianceannounces that it will conclude the 10th Anniversary season celebration of theGRAMMY® Award winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO), directed by ArturoO’Farrill, with a special program titled “MúsicaNueva 5: Big Band Poetry Jam & Beyond.” The 5th annual new musicconcert will take place at Symphony Space on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, May11 and 12 at 8PM.  The program, curatedby poet, musician, and visionary, Angel R. Rodriguez, Sr., will feature alineup of guest poets, who will be accompanied by the ALJO. Guest poets includecurator Rodriguez, as well as Sandra María Esteves, Tato Laviera, Odilia RiveraSantos, Caridad “La Bruja” De La Luz, Circa ’95 (PattyDukes &RephStar), and Christopher “Chilo” Cajigas. The arrangers for thetwo-night engagement include O’Farrill, Todd Bashore, Adam Kromelow, JasonLindner, Adam O’Farrill, Jay Rodriguez, and Bill Ware.

 The Afro LatinJazz Orchestra – “Música Nueva 5: Big Band Poetry Jam & Beyond”  Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12, 8:00PM, SymphonySpace, 2537 Broadway, New York, NY 10025, (212) 864-5400, http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/7088-musica-nueva-5-big-band-poetry-jam-beyond

 ”The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra takes particularpride in celebrating the Nuyorican Poetry movement,” explains O’Farrill.”These elder and younger poets are the voice of our conscience, a reminderthat the cultural conversation in our city and in our nation is stillincomplete. It will also be an historic event. Nothing like this has ever beendone with an Afro Latin Jazz big band and Latino spoken word. This will be anevening in the spirit of Gil Scott-Heron but with an Afro Latin entry point.Don’t miss this one!”

In addition to guest poets, the lineup for eachperformance will include guest DJs, MCs, spoken word artists, instrumentalists,and dancers. “We have been planning the event for awhile now,” saysRodriguez. “Bringing together poets and Arturo’s orchestra is history inthe making. This has never been done. Poets have always used music but not inthis capacity. This is documentation for future generations.”

“This program captures the magic of collaborationacross art forms. The works that result from each poet/arranger pairing are apowerful combination of spoken word and music, and they encompass a wide rangeof artistic styles and social themes that grow out of the Latino experience,particularly here in New York City,” notes Eric Oberstein, the Afro LatinJazz Alliance’s Executive Director.

The program will be a celebration of the Latin communityand the artists will mix the classic sound of mambo, boogaloo, and salsa withhip-hop, acid jazz, and alternative improvisation. The performances will honorthe work of the Nuyorican Poets Café, home to the genesis of the Latino spokenword movement and a multi-cultural venue for artists traditionallyunder-represented in mainstream media and culture.

About The AfroLatin Jazz Orchestra:

Founded in 2002 by O’Farrill to perform the fullrepertory of big band Afro Latin jazz and commission new works to advance thisculturally rich genre, the ALJO was a resident orchestra at Jazz at LincolnCenter from 2002 to 2007. In 2007, the ALJO left Lincoln Center to pursue thetwin goals of developing new audiences for big band Afro Latin jazz and ofcreating a robust educational program for young performers. O’Farrill foundedthe Afro Latin Jazz Alliance that same year to pursue both the performance andeducational aspects of this uniquely pan-American art form.

About The AfroLatin Jazz Alliance:

Founded in 2007, the non-profit Afro Latin Jazz Allianceis dedicated to preserving the music and heritage of Afro Latin Jazz,supporting its performance for new audiences, commissioning new work, andeducating young people in the understanding and performance of this importantcultural treasure. The Alliance maintains a world-class collection of Latinjazz musical scores and recordings and provides institutional support for theGRAMMY® Award winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. As the ALJO celebrates its10th Anniversary season, the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance’s educational andcommunity outreach programs have flourished. For more information on the AfroLatin Jazz Alliance & Orchestra, visit: afrolatinjazz.org

the 17th Annual Dia de San Juan Festival
Sunday June 17, 2012
Queen Mary Event Park
1126 Queens Mary Highway
Long Beach, CA

Puerto Rico is one of the Caribbean’s most popular destinations. Cruise ships travelling the Caribbean circuit nearly always spend time in the port of San Juan, and often start their journeys from it. Other ships tend to begin a Caribbean cruise in Florida, but include San Juan in their itineraries. As it’s such a popular route, there are many lots of cruise offers available for trips using it. San Juan and the rest of Puerto Rico makes for a very attractive cruise destination, as it offers a combination of both the old and the new world. It holds much of interest for visitors from both Europe and North America. For Europeans, it is a window into how European culture was first exported to the New World back in the sixteenth century, and how that culture then merged with native and African cultures. For Americans, it is a glimpse into a unique part of the US which few US citizens ever get to see.

San Juan is one of the busiest ports in Latin America, with both cruise and cargo ships arriving and departing from it. Most of the cruise ships dock within an easy walk of Old San Juan, a few will dock across the bay at Isla Grande, a short taxi ride away. You may just have a day or two in San Juan, during your cruise, or you may have the opportunity to explore for longer, especially if your trip begins or ends there.

History

Old San Juan’s big draw for visitors is its history. European settlement dates from 1521, making it the oldest settlement in the US. It is full of atmosphere, with Old San Juan having a distinctly Spanish feel. Its narrow, cobblestoned streets are lined with colourful old colonial houses, which give way to attractive squares. Old San Juan is on an island and bounded by thick city walls, built to keep enemies out and secure the life of the colony. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is a wonderful place just to wander around, soaking up the atmosphere. Pavement cafes are great places just to stop for a while and watch the world go by. To get an idea of San Juan life over the years, visit some of the city’s ’boutique’ museums. These are small, backstreet museums which often have exhibits about a particular period or aspect of San Juan or Puerto Rican history, and can be fascinating.

There are some must-see historic buildings in Old San Juan. Most well known is La Fortaleza (‘the fortress’) which was the first fortification to be built in the city. Today it is the residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico, but much of it is open to the public. Other fortresses include Morro Castle and Fort San Cristobal. There are also many attractive churches in Old San Juan, such as the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista, one of the city’s oldest buildings. It houses the tomb of the founder of the settlement, Juan Ponce de Leon.

Culture

Old San Juan is not just about historic sights. Take some time to get to know the place as the locals do. Start with the food: there are many excellent restaurants in the old city, serving up lots of local favourites. Food in Puerto Rico combines Spanish, American, African and native Taino flavours. Popular dishes include asopao (a chunky, spicy soup), spicy meat stews and chillis, fried fish and Spanish style omlettes. Find a backstreet restaurant and take advice on the best dishes to try: every restaurant will have its own specialities.

After you’ve eaten, try out the local bars: Old San Juan really comes to life after dark. There are numerous bars in the city playing various types of traditional Latin music and really popular with locals: they’re not just tourist haunts. Another popular after-dinner passtime is to wander along the Paseo de la Princesa – the seafront promenade. It is lined with trees and food vendors, and is always packed with both locals and tourists out enjoying an evening stroll.

If you begin or end your cruise in San Juan, then take some time to explore the rest of Puerto Rico, with its beautiful scenery and unique culture. If you just have a quick stop-off in the city, then make the most of it: San Juan is a rewarding slice of Puerto Rican culture that you’ll remember forever.

Alicia Baro dedicated her life to ensuring the rights of Hispanics, women, and other minorities in political representation, education and employment.

Born in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, Baro was reared in New York City. She graduated from prestigious Hunter College in 1940. After relocating to Miami, she actively opposed the deplorable treatment of migrant workers in Miami, which sparked her political participation and led to the formation of the Puerto Rican Democrats Organization.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Baro became involved in organizations for women and blacks. She was a founding member of the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, the Coalition of Hispanic American Women, and the Women Chamber of Commerce of South Florida.

She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Distinguished Service Awards from the 18th District of the Florida Congressional Delegation and the City of Miami. Baro was featured in Julia’s Daughters, a book highlighting historical Dade County women. In 1995 NACOPRW instituted the Annual Alicia Baró Achievement Award.

Memorial Service

Saturday, January 28, 2012
11:00 am
Upper Room Assembly of God Church
19701 SW 127 Ave (Cutler Ridge)
Miami, FL.

Alicia Baro was one of the first women I met in South Florida who was truly serving her community. From the ODP to NACOPRW she always seemed to be there before anyone else was. She was inspirational in her strength and will be difficult to replace. I consider it one of the privileges of my life to have met her. Her small stature and quiet demeanor disguised her strength and her commitment to getting things done.

John y Liz
Co-Founders

http://boricua.com

I am asking for your help in supporting this event, as well as supporting the project by making a personal donation, or even sponsoring a project participant by purchasing a “Tiple Wood Kit”.

This event will kick-off our campaign to raise/secure funding for the 2012 Tiple Construction Workshop.  This will be our Sixth Annual Workshop, and we have successfully implemented this project with your generous help/support.  Once again we are counting on your help to have another successful program since we get limited funding (or none whatsoever) from other sources, i.e. foundations, corporations, government funding, etc.  If you have any leads for funding resources for me to follow-up with, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Please spread the word about the event, and also about the project.  You can make your donation to:

San Lucas United Church of Christ (Make Check Payable to)
2914 Wes North Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60647

See you on the 5th of January 2012!

Carlos Flores

For more information Contact: San Lucas Church (773) 227-5747
Carmen Flores Rance (312) 805-5623